


Of birds, bats and other unintentional encounters

by Nieri_is_a_cat



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Also beware the poor bats knocking on windows, Bruce Wayne's nice parenting, Gen, I tried to go with some fluff here and there?, It came out as kinda angsty in some tho, Jack and Janet Drake's A+ Parenting, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Tim Drake Birthday Hunt, You shouldn't leave me alone in the tags I'll end up commenting the story here, so like
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-20
Updated: 2020-07-20
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:20:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25403740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nieri_is_a_cat/pseuds/Nieri_is_a_cat
Summary: It's August 16th and Tim just wants to watch a birthday party, nevermind his horrible luck and even worse social skills.
Relationships: Batfamily Members & Tim Drake, Tim Drake & Bruce Wayne
Comments: 11
Kudos: 158





	Of birds, bats and other unintentional encounters

**Author's Note:**

  * For [artificiallifecreator](https://archiveofourown.org/users/artificiallifecreator/gifts).



> A day late, but happy birthday to my favourite Robin! 
> 
> The Hunt, yesterday, was _wild_ , let me tell you. Messaging 25 different people in the dms to find one damn emoji and receiving a ridiculous amount of messages also asking for emojis, well... For me it also started at 2 am and like, uhm, I stayed up 'till 3.30 am because I was like "I only need one more emoji and then the treasure will be mine muahahahahah" and well. 
> 
> Also many thanks to Sil, the bat was her idea. Love you <3
> 
> Shmooo, I hope you liked this :)
> 
> Nieri :D

It was August, and Tim was melting in his garden, even though he was under the shade of the old oak tree - on the oak tree really, but it’s not like people needed to know - and had a bottle of lemonade with ice cubes. It was too hot, how could people even think to go out with this weather?! The sun could have broken rocks, and eggs and bacon could have been cooked on the car roofs. 

But Tim had braved his way out anyway, because today was a very special day and Tim was curious. Today was Robin’s brithday. August 16. 

Tim knew there was everyone, from Mr. Pennyworth to Richard Grayson,  _ Nightwing, _ \-  _ He’s come back for Jason’s birthday! Maybe he’s got to say something to Jason, from Robin to Robin... _ \- to the newest acquisition in their family, Mr. Wayne’s real son, apparently, Damian. His name was Damian, Tim was pretty sure. He didn’t think the  _ Gotham’s Gazette _ would call him a wrong name, else Mr. Wayne could probably sue them. Or maybe he could go as Batman at night to give them a scare. Could vigilantes even do that? Scratch that, would Mr. Wayne even do that? Maybe for his son he would...  _ I wonder what that’s like _ .

But anyway, point was that Tim was spying on a birthday party hidden between the branches of the tree in his garden but whose branches reached out on the Wayne’s property. Which was probably illegal, now that he thought about it... But then again, vigilantes were, technically speaking, illegal too, and if in Gotham lines were a bit blurred about their involvement with the police, then that was other people’s problem. So yes, Tim was doing something technically illegal, but so were vigilantes and no one had told them no to this date anyway. Quietly, Tim sipped from his bottle and stood watching. 

He was curious not only because this was Robin’s birthday, or because there were Batman and Nightwing and Batgirl - he had seen Barbara Gordon wheelchairing around earlier - but because it was a  _ birthday _ . Tim had never had a birthday party, his mother and father had never considered his birthday more than another day of the week, since he had turned six, and even before he had never had nothing more than a slice of cake, a postcard from wherever they were at the moment and a small gift he didn’t know what to do with. Their last gift for his birthday, his camera, his adored and cherished camera, had been the only one he had put to good use and worked with on a daily basis. Though he was still happy when he received a postcard  _ because this time they remembered! _ They didn’t remember his birthday much… But it was okay, Tim knew his parents were busy and that money didn’t grow on trees.

Tim shifted on his branch and put the bottle back, but putting it back he lost his balance and fell. In the Wayne’s garden. And they had noticed him. Ugh. 

Tim scrambled up to his feet and backed to the wall, hugging his ever-present camera to his chest. Soon enough the almost entirety of the Waynes were surrounding him. 

“It’s just a kid.” said Jason. 

“He’s in our garden! He trespassed on our property!” Damian countered.

“Who are you?” Dick asked gently.

“Aren’t you Janet Drake’s son? Timothy, right?” Mr. Wayne knelt in front of him.

Tim nodded, eyes focused on the man. “Uhm... It’s uhm... a pleasure Mr. Wayne.” 

His mother would have his head, if she ever heard him babble like that. Luckily for him, his parents were currently in China, had been for about two months, and no postcards. So yeah, Tim was lucky. 

“Timothy, why don’t you come over there and celebrate Jason’s birthday with us?” Mr. Wayne’s voice was gentle, soothing, and really, Tim had no idea of what he was supposed to do. It would be rude to say no, but also his mother would frown upon this whole thing when she found out - because she would, there was no doubt about it. 

“But father, he trespassed!” Tim glanced over at Damian, who had his brows knitted together in a frown and his mouth in a tight line. He didn’t really look like a six years old. Far too serious. 

“Be nice Damian, he just fell off a tree. I’m sure he didn’t mean to trespass, right Timothy?” 

He nodded at Mr. Wayne’s words, but didn’t say anything else other than a  _ uhm, happy birthday? I’m sorry, I don’t have any gift… _ to Jason, who had been very cool about it, and told him he needn’t bring anything, since he had happened upon them by chance. Or better since he had fallen off a tree randomly. And really, did Tim know how to behave at birthdays? Nope. Did he take what he knew from movies and tv shows and cartoons? Of course. 

It wasn’t like he had never been invited to birthdays, because he had, multiple times; it was more like his parents - mother, it was always mother - didn’t let him go because  _ it is not appropriate Timothy dear. Think about what people would think if they ever saw you go to a birthday party of someone like that. _ Every single time, it had happened, every single time. Mother didn’t even like his friends, or their parents, so Tim wasn’t really surprised at the fact that she didn’t allow him to go to parties of any kind, were they birthdays, celebratory or just play video games at someone’s house. Now that he thought about it, he’d never had a sleepover either, unless he counted the few times he had built a pitiful pillow fort in the living room and stayed up all night watching old movies. So, anyway, it was no surprise his classmates had stopped inviting him to their birthdays, or that his friends from the clubs at school had stopped asking. Which was why he still couldn’t believe how or why Mr. Wayne and Jason were inviting him to this birthday even if he didn’t have a present and wasn’t presentable.

“So,” Tim turned towards Jason, who was staring at him musingly, “what were you doing on that tree?”

And Tim couldn’t really reply with  _ I was curious because I’ve never been at a birthday party and was spying on you _ , now could he? So he settled on a simple  _ I was bird watching… _ , which was not really a lie. Robins were birds, weren’t they? And Jason was Robin, so Tim felt almost okay with it.

“That’s cool! Never been one for bird watching honestly. I think the only one in the family who would be up for that would be the brat.” the teen said, and, after a moment, “Did you take any photos?”

Tim shook his head, because  _ of course I haven’t taken any photos, I don’t want to go to jail _ . Jason nodded at his camera.   
  
“Then what did you bring that for?” 

“Uhm... I-” 

Luckily for him that was the moment Dick shoved a plate with a slice of cake in his hands and dragged him to Miss Gordon and Mr. Wayne’s daughter, Cassandra Cain, who were mumbling under their breaths. Probably about him, there was no way it wasn’t like that. 

After the six most embarrassing moments of his short life, Tim finally was free to go, and chose to sit in one of the corners of the small gazebo, quietly watching the others play and laugh and eat and drink. It was fun, even if he was only watching. Or at least it was fun until they noticed him sitting by himself. 

“Hey, Timmy, why don’t you come play with us?”

“What are you doing sitting there all alone?”

“Come have fun, c’mon!” 

“Looks almost like this is his first time participating to a birthday party, doesn’t it?”

Tim’s breath hitched as he tensed because yes, it was, but they didn’t need to know. He didn’t want pity. And then he noticed they were frowning at him. All of them, even Damian. Why? They couldn’t have noticed his reaction, right? It wasn’t for his reaction to their words,  _ it wasn’t _ .

“It  _ isn’t _ your first time at a birthday party, is it?” Jason again. 

Tim backed into the wooden pole as much as he could and shook his head. “Of course... uhm, of course  _ not _ . I- I have been invited to  _ plenty _ !” A half truth, but a truth nevertheless. And he wasn’t going to cry. He. Was. Not. Tim blinked a couple of times to send back the tears gathering in the corners of his eyes. 

“ _ It is. _ ” Surprise etched in his voice and, when Tim looked up, in his eyes and in the looks everyone was giving him. And of course there was pity. That was guaranteed, always. 

“It is  _ not _ !”   
  
“Tim.” Mr. Wayne. “It’s okay, it’s okay. Can I get closer?” 

Tim shook his head, then slowly nodded.  _ Yes, yes please _ . Why was he like this? Why couldn’t he just keep his cool and act like his parents had taught him? But soon enough those awful thoughts were crushed as warmth enveloped him and Mr. Wayne hugged him. 

He wasn’t going to cry, he wasn’t going to be a baby and ruin Jason’s birthday. They were going to hate him, if he did, they  _ totally _ were, even if Mr. Wayne said it was okay.

And it wasn’t like he didn’t know they were being nice only because he was the neighbour kid and a stranger - and by the way, always be nice to strangers unless they’re rude first - so Tim couldn’t really say anything to them. It was only proper of them to be nice to him. 

“You don’t have to.” He finally was able to mumble. “It’s okay, I’m just being a baby.” 

“Tim,” Mr. Wayne’s voice was low and soothing and weirdly gave him a sense of safety. “I’m doing this because I want to. You are a child in need of comfort and I can give you some, even if not for much time.”

That... that didn’t make sense. Why would he want to comfort Tim? He was just being a nuisance and a baby and  _ he didn’t have to comfort him _ . He shouldn’t want to either. Tim was not someone people liked to have around. 

“Why?” 

Mr. Wayne, and the others behind him, blinked at his question. It was a normal question wasn’t it?  _ I really hope it is... _ But their reactions were pointing at the fact that it wasn’t normal. For them at least. Maybe it was normal for others.

“Oh Timmy...” Suddenly Dick was hugging him too, and from over his shoulder Tim could see that the others, even Damian, looked like they wanted to hug him too. He didn’t understand, it was fine, even if it made Tim sad, and they shouldn’t waste time on his problems.    
  
He wasn’t going to cry,  _ he wasn’t going to cry _ . 

He was.   
  
“You should,” he murmured after a moment, while sniffling, the back of his hand brushing away the tears. “go back to the party. I’m fine.”   
  
“You’re definitely not.”

“I-”

“If you say you are, then Damian is the most angelic kid I’ve ever met.”

Tim turned to look at the other child and no, Jason must be lying because he looked okay and well behaved. 

That was the moment Mr. Wayne decided to stand up again and bring Tim with him, startling him who was still staring at Damian. 

“What-  _ Mr. Wayne what are you doing? _ ” 

“Nothing more than going inside and wash your face, Tim. Is that okay with you?”

He nodded as Mr. Wayne made his way out of the gazebo. He could feel eyes staring at the two of them slowly walking away and it wasn’t really a pleasant sensation. But it didn’t matter, because they were looking only because he had been a baby and started to cry. 

It still was hard not to let them bother him, though. 

Inside the manor, after he had washed his face to look a bit more presentable -  _ as if none of them saw you cry, you stupid _ \- Mr. Wayne had brought him to the kitchen, and had sat him down. To talk, apparently. Tim didn’t want to talk. At all. 

Yet here they were.   
  
“- with us, okay?” 

Somehow Mr. Wayne had managed to coax everything out of Tim, aka how his parents were home for less than a month per year, how Tim had basically been looking after himself since he had been five and how his only constant adult interaction not counting school teachers was Mrs. Mac.  _ No, brain. Commissioner Gordon doesn’t count _ .  _ No, Catwoman  _ also _ doesn’t count _ . _ And no, bat-watching is not constant adult interaction either, shut up brain! _

And after Tim had finished explaining his home situation - and how on God’s green earth had he been able to make him tell everything, he didn’t know. Must be Batman’s superpower, right? - Mr. Wayne had started the longest  _ talk _ ever, about how Tim living like that was unacceptable and that he was not going back to Drake manor to live alone with the risk of not being able to take care of himself, like  _ what if you’re so ill you can’t call anyone? Or what if you slip and hit your head on something hard and sharp and lose consciousness? What if electricity goes down and you can’t get it to work again? _ and basically told him he was going to live with them for the time being, until his parents could be reached or, if it went on for long, child services. 

So yeah,  _ that _ was why Tim didn’t like talks. It always went bad for him, and, in this case, he had lost the liberty to follow Batman and Robin, and Nightwing occasionally, aroud. Nevermind they lived under what was now also his roof, because he couldn’t just go and tell them  _ hi, I already know who you all are, can I see your headquarters?  _ Because  _ there’s no way they’d let me in. I’m just me, and I’m a civilian and shouldn’t even know who they are...  _

But anyway, before Tim could even think to agree, reluctantly, to Mr. Wayne’s gentle proposal - more than a proposal it was a statement, really - a loud thud stopped him. Both him and Mr. Wayne turned towards the window just to see a small bat lying on the windowsill with the most confused expression an animal could wear. Oh, and dark hair sticking up from under the windowsill too. And Tim, Tim at that couldn’t keep a straight face and started laughing, because how many chances were there that a  _ bat _ landed on  _ Batman _ ’s window? 

“Oh my god Mr. Wayne.” he managed to say in between fits of laughter, “It’s  _ you _ !” 

He also realized a moment too late what he had said. In a matter of milliseconds - Tim, even at the tender age of ten, was already a master in overthinking - he was already preparing for the worst case scenario of being put into bat-jail.  _ Does a bat-jail even exist? He does have the bat-mobile and the batarangs and all sorts of bat-things so he probably has a bat-jail too… I don’t wanna go to bat-jail! _

But also in a matter of seconds, loud, fat laughter rang from outside the window and Mr. Wayne sighed. It sounded like a very pained sigh, Tim noticed. 

“ _ Children _ , all of them.” he muttered, “Even Barbara. I had  _ faith _ in her and she betrayed me...”

Awkwardly Tim reached out and patted Mr. Wayne’s shoulder. Mr. Wayne just sighed louder. 

And Tim decided that maybe a change of topic would be optimal to have Mr. Wayne forget about his comment.

“Thank you, Mr. Wayne… I, uhm… I’m oka- I mean! I’d be happy to accept your offer...” It wasn’t like Tim could really say no, and this was Batman in front of him. You don’t say no to Batman. “Will it really be okay, though? I wouldn’t want to bother or impose...”

“Bull, Tim!” Suddenly the window opened and Jason, after having carefully moved the small bat, hopped inside the kitchen. “We’d be happy to have you with us!”

“I’m not sure I will!”

“Dami, be nice, you’ve heard what’s happened.”

Even Cassandra was nodding fervently, and he could see Mr. Pennyworth peeking from behind Dick’s shoulders, a knowing smile firmly set on his face.

“Uh…? Are you- are you  _ completely _ sure?” Because there was no way they could really be this okay with him invading their home and their lives and  _ oh no, what about their night lives?  _

A hand on his shoulder had him turn back towards Mr. Wayne. Who was smiling. At Tim.  _ Why?  _ That was  _ weird _ . 

“Yes, Tim. We’d be delighted to have you stay with us, and I’d also feel much more calm if I knew you were safe. Tim,” and here Mr. Wayne was searching his eyes and staring right into Tim’s soul. “you’re not a bother and you’ll never be, is it clear?”

Tim could only nod, wordless and wondering if he had ended in an alternate universe, because  _ there’s no way he thinks that, no way at all _ . But there wasn’t a shadow of doubt in Mr. Wayne’s eyes, and there wasn’t a shadow of doubt in Jason’s bright smile or in Dick’s or in the way Cassandra nodded and Miss Gordon chuckled. Not even in Damian’s slightly mean comments, and really, he was justified in being mean, because Tim was invading his home and no one likes his home to be invaded. 

They all were really, truly okay with him coming to live with them. 

And even if Tim still couldn’t really wrap his head around it, just the thought of them being okay with it,  _ with him _ , made him feel all warm and content. 

And all in all, he mused, today had been a wonderful day.

**Author's Note:**

> The author loves to chat in the comments. Only positive criticism will be accepted. Please tell me what you think :)
> 
> And so it is done!


End file.
